Straight answers
Is ActionCOACH legit?
The honest answer, why reviews vary, how to compare your options, and how to check any business coach before you sign, including us.
Yes. ActionCOACH is a global business coaching franchise founded in 1993. Its offices in 87 countries have worked with more than 100,000 businesses. ActionCOACH South Carolina is an independently owned and operated office based in Greenville and led by Paresh Patel. We focus on results, we only take on clients we believe we can help, and every client we accept is backed by the ActionCOACH guarantee.
Results first
We focus on results. And we back them.
We are selective. On the first call we look at your business, your goals and your team, and we only take you on if we believe coaching will pay for itself.
We say no when it isn't a fit
If coaching is not the right next step for your business, we tell you, and we point you to what is.
The ActionCOACH guarantee
Every client we accept is backed by it. Do the agreed work, and if you can't find our fee in your business within 17 weeks, we keep coaching you at no charge until you do. Full terms are at actioncoach.com/guarantee.
Measured every week
A written 90-day plan with one owner for each goal and a short set of weekly numbers, tracked in the ABoS business operating system that comes with coaching.
Coach or consultant?
Start with a coach. Then add consultants.
Most owners hear "coach" and "consultant" as the same thing. They do different jobs, and the order matters.
What a consultant does
A consultant is best for a defined project: a new system, a pricing study, a plant layout, a tax or legal question. They bring answers, and often do the work themselves.
What a coach does
A coach works on you and your leadership team: priorities, decisions, habits and accountability. That work decides which projects are worth doing, and who will own them.
Why the coach comes first
Without a clear plan, consultants get hired for the wrong problems, and good recommendations sit on a shelf because nobody owns them. With a coach, you know what to say yes and no to, and your team is ready to carry the work after the consultant leaves.
We do both. We diagnose like a consultant, drawing on Paresh Patel's 26 years in engineering and manufacturing, and we follow through like a coach. When you need a specialist, we help you scope the work and make sure your team puts it to use.
Compare your options
Shop around. We encourage it.
There are many good coaches and advisors, and many more people who call themselves one. Each option below can be right for someone. Here is what each does well, and the question to ask before you choose it.
A solo coach
Can be excellent and personal. Ask: have they run a business, a team or an operation themselves, and what proven system and support sit behind them?
A peer advisory group
Great for perspective from other owners. Ask: who holds you accountable to your own plan between meetings?
A consultant
Great for a defined project. Ask: who owns the work, and keeps it going, after they leave?
Online courses and books
Low cost and full of good ideas. Ask: who will help you apply them to your business, and check that you did?
ActionCOACH South Carolina
A coach who spent 26 years in engineering and manufacturing, a system used by ActionCOACH since 1993 in 87 countries, ABoS to track every goal, quarterly planning with GrowthCLUB, and the ActionCOACH guarantee behind every client we accept.
Check before you commit
Six questions to ask any business coach.
Use these with us and with anyone else you are considering. Then compare the answers side by side. A coach worth hiring will answer every one plainly.
1. What have you run yourself?
Ask about the teams, operations and budgets the coach has been responsible for, not only the coaching certificates. Our answer: Paresh Patel spent 26 years in engineering and manufacturing, 20 of them as an engineering and manufacturing leader, at Toyota, Michelin, Ingersoll Rand and TE Connectivity. He is a PMP and a Six Sigma Black Belt. Read his background.
2. How will we measure progress?
You should hear specific numbers, tracked weekly, that you and your team agree on at the start. Our answer: a short set of weekly numbers for your business, tracked in ABoS and reviewed in every session.
3. What will I have in writing after 90 days?
Look for a written plan with goals, one owner for each goal and the numbers you will track. Our answer: a written 90-day plan, refreshed every quarter.
4. What does your guarantee ask of me?
Any guarantee in coaching comes with conditions. Ask to see them in writing before you start. Our answer: you do the agreed work, attend sessions and complete assignments. The full terms are at actioncoach.com/guarantee, and we walk through them on your first call.
5. Can I read the agreement before I sign?
Read the whole agreement, including how either side can end it, and ask about anything that is not clear. Our answer: yes, always.
6. Who will I actually work with?
Ask whether you will work with the person selling you the coaching, and what support sits behind them. Our answer: you work with Paresh, backed by the ActionCOACH system, ABoS and the GrowthCLUB planning days.
Why reviews are mixed
Same brand. Different coaches.
If you have read a bad review of ActionCOACH, take it seriously. Then look at what it is really telling you.
Every office is independent
ActionCOACH is a franchise. Each office is owned and run by its own coach, so quality depends on that person. One coach's record is not every coach's record.
Coaching is not regulated
Anyone can call themselves a business coach. That is why the coach's own operating background, and what you get in writing, matter more than the brand on the door.
Fit matters
Coaching works when the owner and the team do the work between sessions. A good coach tells you before you sign if that isn't the right fit yet.
If you worked with, or read about, an ActionCOACH coach in South Carolina who is no longer active, that was a different, independently owned office. ActionCOACH South Carolina today is led by Paresh Patel. If you had a bad experience before, tell us on your first call. We would rather hear it and earn your trust than ignore it.
Your next step
Ask us the hard questions. Then decide.
A free 30-minute call with Paresh. Bring the six questions. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you.
FAQ
Common questions.
Is ActionCOACH legit?
Yes. ActionCOACH is a global business coaching franchise founded in 1993. Its offices in 87 countries have worked with more than 100,000 businesses. ActionCOACH South Carolina is an independently owned and operated office based in Greenville and led by Paresh Patel.
Does ActionCOACH guarantee results?
We focus on results, and we only take on clients we believe we can help. Every client we accept is backed by the ActionCOACH guarantee: do the agreed work, and if you can't find our fee in your business within 17 weeks, we keep coaching you at no charge until you do. Full terms are at actioncoach.com/guarantee.
Should I hire a business coach or a business consultant first?
Start with a coach. A coach helps you and your leadership team decide what matters most, so you know which projects to say yes and no to. Then bring in consultants for specific projects, with a team ready to carry the work after they leave.
Is ActionCOACH a business coach or a business consultant?
Both. We diagnose like a consultant and follow through like a coach. Your team does the work, so the results stay after we step back.
Why are some ActionCOACH reviews negative?
Because every office is independently owned, the experience depends on the coach in front of you: their background, how they measure progress and whether the fit was right. Coaching is not a regulated profession, so check any coach before you commit, including us.
I had a bad experience with a former ActionCOACH coach in South Carolina. Was that you?
If that coach is no longer active, it was a different, independently owned office. Tell us about it on your first call. We would rather hear it and earn your trust than ignore it.
How do I check ActionCOACH South Carolina before I commit?
Book a free 30-minute strategy call with Paresh Patel. Ask the six questions on this page, compare our answers with any other coach you are considering, and read the agreement before you sign.